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Friday, September 24, 2010

Milling Machine to Alleviate the Drudgery of Hard Labour

“GAMCOTRAP Up To Eradicate Harmful Traditional Practices”

VOL: 1 ISSN: 06: A press release from The Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices affecting the Health of Women and Children (GAMCOTRAP) has said that communities around Makka Misireh in Wuli East, Upper River Region, recently witnessed the inauguration of a milling machine meant to alleviate the drudgery of hard labour on rural women.
The Machine, which is funded by the German Embassy in Dakar, Senegal through its Banjul office in The Gambia, was welcomed by one hundred girls, who have been protected from female genital mutilation.
In her inaugural speech, the Representative of the German Embassy in The Gambia, Ms. Anita Martin said the support to the women of Makka Misireh is to bring attention to the efforts of GAMCOTRAP in creating awareness to end female genital mutilation (FGM).

“While there is need to respect Gambian culture, efforts should be made to protect girls from FGM and other harmful practices and help them realise their full potentials,” she argued.
She informed the gathering that the Federal Republic of Germany is firmly against the practice of FGM and is please to be working with Gambians to end it. For both the government of The Gambia and the Federal republic of Germany, FGM is a matter that is affecting the maternal and reproductive health of women and girls as well as the abuse internationally recognised human rights conventions and standards.
For her part, the Executive Director of GAMCOTRAP, Dr. Isatou Touray said her organisation is complementing the efforts of the German Embassy in providing a milling machine by funding the construction of the house for the machine by providing building materials.
She commended the community for providing the work force (labour) during the construction of the building, which she described as an indication of their support to alleviate the drudgery of processing cereals on women.
According to her, the objective of GAMCOTRAP’s intervention in providing support to the women in Makka Misireh and cluster villages is due to the fact that it is one of the remote and socially excluded areas in the country and the women multi-tasked with difficulties chores.
“They are faced with the task of the triple roles of reproduction, production and community management,” she said.
An ex-circumciser, Mrs. Kumba Damba of Makka Misireh noted that it was through her participation in the training and awareness creation that she realised the need to stop FGM along with all the communities she served.
She expressed joy in witnessing the inauguration of the milling machine to Makka Misireh and environs.
The GAMCOTRAP Community-Based Facilitator, Nafa Jabbi read a declaration on behalf of the Makka Misireh youths, who named their soccer team as GAMCOTRAP Football Club, to show their commitment in the campaign to stop FGM, the release concluded.

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